Chicken Corn Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion - chopped

1 whole garlic - minced

Chile powder, to taste

Cumin, to taste

Salt & Pepper, to taste

2 lbs chicken - cubed or whole to shred when cooked

1 can diced tomatoes with diced green chiles

1 can diced green chiles

2 lbs frozen corn

1 can black beans 

1 can refried beans

4 cups chicken broth

(Additional water for broth as needed with chicken bouillon)

Cilantro - chopped

Lemon - topping

Shredded cheese - topping

Tortilla strips - topping

Heat some oil and add onions & garlic on medium heat until softened. 

While that is softening up, season the chicken thoroughly with salt & pepper, chile powder, cumin...I season heavily.

When onion and garlic is fragrant and softened, add seasoned chicken and cook the outsides...do not cool through, just no pink on the outsides.

Add diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, sautée for a few minutes, then add chicken broth.

Start adding the corn and beans and put on high heat. Store frequently.

When it looks close to boiling, add 3/4ths of the cilantro, save the rest for topping. Let boil 5 minutes and turn heat off.

Top each serving with lemon, shredded cheese & tortilla strips. My boyfriend also likes to add hot sauce. 

Enjoy!

Malibu Chicken Nuggets

It's football Sunday and my six month  anniversary with my love!  In honor of our 49ers kicking ass and his favorite, Malibu Chicken, I made the favorite food snack size...perfect for football Sunday!

Malibu Chicken Nuggets

1 chicken breast - cut into nugget size 
5 slices of ham - sliced into squares size of nuggets
4 slices of Swiss cheese - sliced into squares size of nuggets 
1/2 cup bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder
1 egg
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 and oil bottom of baking dish.

Dip chicken nugget into egg and cover with bread crumbs and put onto piled baking dish. Repeat until all nuggets are done. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. 

Remove from oven and turn over. Cover each with a square or two of ham and top with Swiss cheese. Return to the oven until cheese is melted.

Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons Grey Poupon
1 teaspoon yellow mustard 
3 tablespoons mayo

Mix together and serve with chicken.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I've been sick the last few days and wanted chicken soup...as per my usual, I altered a recipe I found to suit my needs.  It tasted really good and was a great comfort soup for when I was feeling really sick!  Hope you like it as much as I did!

 

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts or 4 Chicken Thighs 
4 cups Water 
4 cups Chicken Broth 
4 Carrots - cut (I bought the pre-crinkle cut ones)
4 stalks Celery - cut 
1 can Diced Tomatoes 
1 package quick cooking Long Grain and Wild Rice with seasoning packet 
Salt & Pepper 
3/4 cup Flour 
1/2 cup Butter 
2 cups Heavy Cream 

Directions:

Boil chicken in 4 cups of water - add salt, pepper, garlic, onion, garlic powder and chicken bouillon until almost cooked. After it boils for a bit, I lower the heat to control the cooking. 

Pull chicken out and put in carrots and celery. Add the chicken broth. 

Cut chicken into bite size pieces or do what I do and take two forks and pull it apart - put back in soup. Bring to a boil, stir in rice (leaving seasoning packet out), cover and turn off heat. 

In a small bowl, mix flour, salt and pepper. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and stir in seasoning packet until mixed and bubbly, reduce heat to low and start mixing in the flour mixture little by little to form a roux. Slowly whisk in heavy cream little by little until mixed and smooth. Cook until thickened - about 5 minutes. 

Add cream mixture into soup pot and bring to a boil and reduce to medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes - stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom.